DOWAGIAC — The city of Dowagiac has been offering a Christmas tree recycling program for as long as Matt Stack, the superintendent of daily operations, has worked for the city.

However, this year, the Department of Public Service is adding a twist. An unidentified crew member has been spotted around town wearing a “Grinch” mask and collecting the retired natural Christmas trees.

The recycling program, which began Jan. 2, will continue throughout the month of January and is offered as a natural way to compost trees.

“We pick them up from the residents, and we take them to the compost site,” Stack said. “When we have them all at the compost site, we bring in the chipper, and we chip them down. We make sure they are clean from wire and whatever.”

Stack, who has worked as a superintendent for 10 years, helps move the crews to the appropriate job sites around the city and oversees their work. He sees the Christmas tree recycling program as an advantage for both the city and its residents.

“If the trees aren’t recycled, then they are being taken straight to a dumpsite to rot and take space up there,” he said.

The chips from the Christmas trees go directly into a chip pile, which residents can then take and use as mulch around trees and flower beds.

The city also uses the natural compost from the Christmas trees for its own tree program.

“Every year, we are planting trees,” Stack said.

On average, Stack said the Department of Public Service collects 30 to 50 Christmas trees a year for recycling. The number of recycled trees has decreased as it has become more mainstream for people to use artificial trees, he added.

“When you buy a tree, it’s not cheap anymore,” Stack said.

In a consumer survey conducted by the National Christmas Tree Association, 32.8 million real Christmas trees were purchased in 2018. Consumers bought 23.6 million new artificial trees in 2018.

To help make the recycling process go smoothly, the Department of Public Service asks that residents do the following to prepare their Christmas tree:

• Remove all tinsel, ornaments, hooks and other decorations.

• Remove any nails, tree stands or other metal.

• Remove any plastic or plastic bags around the tree (do not bag the tree).

• Place the tree behind the curb at the edge of the street, with the cut end, the stump, facing the direction of traffic.

For the most part, Stack said residents do a good job of following the rules, but every now and then the department has had a tree with Christmas lights still left on.

Even with a decline of natural Christmas trees, Stack believes the program will continue as the department already does routine brush and compost waste disposal as well.

“We will pick them up as long as they throw them out,” Stack said.

The city of Dowagiac Department of Public Services can be contacted with any questions by email at DPS_Service_Request@dowagiac.org or by calling (269) 782-8200. The department is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.